To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs what mitigating actions his Department is taking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, following the decision to permit Kilroot power station to exceed its emissions limits.

The Department remains fully committed to limiting Northern Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions. Several examples of how the Department is working towards this goal are:

Working within its remit and with other departments to deliver on the emissions reduction requirements of the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 including developing Northern Ireland’s first climate action plan and a range of sectoral plans.

Leading on development of the Executive’s draft Green Growth Strategy which aims to ensure that future Government policy making has climate action at its core.

Bringing into operation in NI all requirements of EU legislation to limit emissions of fluorinated greenhouse gases (“F-gases”)

Delivering air quality improvements, in relation to energy and domestic heating, transport emissions and active travel, and

Further work developing the UK-wide emissions trading scheme.

The Direction issued by DAERA to the Chief Inspector within the provisions of the Pollution Prevention Control (Industrial Emissions) (PPC(IE)) Regulations NI 2013, was required in order to ensure the security of Northern Ireland’s electricity supply as determined by the Department for Economy. This direction can permit excess emissions of Oxides of Nitrogen and Sulphur Dioxide only for up to one year, with built in three month review points, and to date the direction has not been used.